Members of the American Legion honored four Kilgore College students last week, recognizing their sacrifices to help Texans hit by Hurricane Harvey.

Jim Sutton, commander of Longview’s American Legion Post 232, joined District 3 Vice Commander Jack Lanier at Kilgore City Hall May 8 to praise Piper Mazander, DJ Johnson, Jaren Marshall, Misaki Tsuchida and Josh Parks, a veteran of the Global War on Terrorism.

“They were instrumental in getting relief going with supplies, with clothes sent down to the Houston area,” Lanier said. He and Sutton honored the quintet during Kilgore City Council regular meeting last week. “They worked countless hours with Anthony Saccoccio; he’s the one who organized them.”

Saccoccio – the local developer behind the Bennie Hall residence on Broadway Boulevard – is an affiliate of the Legion’s Post 232.

“He was a contractor overseas for many years with the war operation,” Lanier noted. While not a veteran, “He’s close to veterans” and a strong supporter, “instrumental in getting the Veterans Student Organization going at KC … We voted him in as an affiliate.”

With Saccoccio’s guidance, the four students made a real difference in areas hit by Harvey.

At the same time, “They helped make future plans,” Lanier said, “if we have another catastrophic event like that, how we could improve the system. We’re using their ingenuity, which has good merit.”